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NCAAF Picks

Vegas Releases Odds for their ‘College Football Games of the Year’: We Help You Find the Value!

The Golden Nugget Las Vegas released odds for 166 College Football games for the coming 2015/16 season on Friday, and, as expected, there was some significant movement on some of the games. Let’s look at some numbers and make a couple of picks from this buffet of College Football lines for the coming season.

Introduction
For a ninth straight year, the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas released its College Football Games of the Year odds, this season's numbers on a total of 166 NCAA contests, as usual, steadfastly put together by Sportsbook Director Tony Miller, his Assistant Aaron Kessler and Gold Sheet Executive Editor Bruce Marshall. Bettors into this fairly unique and niche lid-lifting College Football betting marketplace—which officially opened at 1:30 p.m. PT on Friday (June 26)—were able to bet a maximum of $1,100 (to win $1,000) per game on up to 5 games before then having to move to the back of one of three lines at the historic downtown Sin City casino. And, as expected, there was some significant movement on some of the games. Whether an actual market that Early Birds and Wiseguys make $1,100 max wagers on (over and over if they wish), or just a tool for the common College Football bettor to get an early gauge on the coming College Football season, the Golden Nugget’s NCAA College Football opening odds—like the Westgate Las Vegas Hilton’s NFL Games of the Year already released in the spring—have now become perennial traditions anticipated both by professional and recreational gamblers in Sin City as well as the sports gambling media. Let’s look at the opening numbers released from the Golden Nugget week by week and make some picks from this buffet of College Football Division I FBS lines for the coming season which gets into swing only 65 days from today on Thursday, September 3rd. Note, all HOME TEAMS below listed in CAPS.

Conclusions and BYU, Auburn Movement
According to various reports last week, BYU and Auburn received their fair share of early betting handle in the 2015/16 College Football Games of the Year at the Golden Nugget. After opening as 6-point underdogs against Boise State, BYU received enough early action at the Golden Nugget in the game in Provo in Week 2 against the highly regarded Broncos to move the line a remarkable 5 points all the way down to Boise State -1. There was also college football odds movement away from BYU from money bet on the Cougars for games against Nebraska (BYU +6 to +4); UCLA (BYU +7 to +6); Missouri (BYU +12 to +7½); and, Utah State (Pick to BYU -4). Auburn saw the 6½ points it was getting as a Road Underdog against Arkansas in Fayetteville in Week 8 when the lines were posted on Friday afternoon plummet 5 points down to just +1½. The Auburn Tigers also saw significant line movements away from them (money bet on Auburn) in the Mississippi game (Auburn -4 to -6); the Georgia game (Auburn PK to -2½); and, in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 28 against intrastate rival Alabama (Auburn +3½ to +2½). On the opening Friday (September 4) of the NCAA College Football season on the famous blue turf of Boise State, the host and MWC-representing Broncos went from 13-point favorites over Pac-12 reps Washington all the way down to Boise State -8½, one of the biggest moves of the day. Two seasons ago in 2013 in the season opener, Washington thumped Boise State, 38-6 at Husky Stadium in Seattle as 4-point Underdogs.

Golden Nugget College Football Game of the Year Picks:Florida +2 over Tennessee (Week 4), Alabama Pick over Georgia (Week 5), Penn State -28 over Army (Week 5), Auburn -9 over Kentucky (Week 7), Arkansas +1 over Mississippi (Week 9) (Golden Nugget Las Vegas).